- starlapink -

essential item on a witch's grocery list

2008-11-21T11:11:00.000+08:00

free

2008-06-14T12:58:00.000+08:00

she's free from her plastic headband and twist-ties.
and my gawd..her hair is so long and berserabut!
now i've to brave myself and shampoo and condition her hair and maybe even give her a trim.

she's still unnamed.
i've no idea what to name her. she originally has a name given by the manufacturer (natasha moore), but it's so freaky to call her that. and she's so photogenic (i've never seen a doll photograph so beautifully).
maybe i might consider naming her after one of the supermodels.

naomi?
cindy?
niki?
helena? (this is top of the list at the moment, cos everyone knows how much i'm in love with helena c.)
christy?
amber?
claudia?
shalom? (this is nice too)
trish?
elle?
tyra?
gisele?
eva?

now lemme pick up courage to strip her then shampoo and condition her hair.
*gulp*

she's here!

2008-06-11T13:33:00.001+08:00

hi!

where's nat?

2008-05-28T05:44:00.001+08:00

Here we are at the VCH, my last concert (with the school choir) singing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony's final movement. It's the famous Ode to Joy (in German, of course).

This video is the 2nd part of 3 parts. I can't find the rest of the videos as the owner has removed them.

and where exactly am I?
try approximately 04:17 and 04:34.

ten / 10 / X

2008-05-15T10:54:00.001+08:00

tuesday's the day i 'graduated' from a size 8 to a size 10.
sad but true.
i saw it coming, i did.
it was inevitable, all my tops were starting to get tighter and my bottoms (pants/jeans/shorts/skirts) were leaving 'tight-marks' that won't go away for hours after they're taken off.

sigh.

so there i was at the start of the tang's sale hoping to get ~~some~~ a dresses for my recital next week (haven't even perfected my pieces and i still got the cheek to think of what to wear *rolls eyes*). anyway, there're lotsa good buys and it wasn't even crowded (yaye!). furthermore, there's a 15% discount above the stated discount (yaye!) and since it wasn't crowded, there was no queue for the dressing rooms (yaye!). okay correction, there was no queue until about 6pm. then people who have jobs knock off from work and started streaming in, but it was okay as it was a closed-door sale so still not pening kepala kind of crowd.

so anyway, i was literally taking everything i saw on the racks (to try) in size 8s or US size 4s when a sales auntie came up to me and asked what size am i. she looked at my size 8s and 4s hanging on my arm and she said 'no, cannot fit. u need size 10'.

i so did not need to hear that.

she gave me some size 10s to try while i hung on to my size 8s and and insisted that i can fit into a size 8. not.
she was right y'know, 'cannot fit'.

i'm quite mad at being a size bigger cos my boobs aren't getting bigger. i'm okay with gaining weight as long as my boobs get bigger as well. but NOoOo, they're still the same. tsk.

well anyway, tangs have got really nice dresses, some even under $50. very good buy. the ones in celia loe's 'addition' line are really sweet but doesn't justify the price tag.

i really liked the first one (the striped one) but i had to let go of it as i seriously needed to pee and i left it in the bin in the dressing room and when i went back to look for it, i couldn't find it. i went round the whole place and i didn't even find it hanging on the racks. so weird. i also liked the fifth one (the white one) but like i said earlier, price tag does not justify design and material. really liked the cutting, will look for more dresses with that kind of cutting, quite flattering for someone who has no boobs (moi!).

right, so now i've to lay off nasi lemak suppers. roti prata suppers also cannot.

Helloooooo Nurse!

2008-04-03T16:17:00.000+08:00

the louis vuitton monogram canvas tivoli gm.
nice hor?

prefer the gm to the pm as gm's strap is adjustable.

currently out of stock, otherwise it's USD1250.

Tickets for Sale!

2008-03-27T20:26:00.001+08:00

Commuter Concerts 07/08
Beethoven: Symphony no. 9 Op. 125, “Choral”

Date	:	9 April 2008
Time	:	8pm
Venue	:	Victoria Concert Hall
Admission	:	S$18 through me, and S$18 & S$24 (plus $1 booking fee)
		If you buy your tickets via www.GATECRASH.com.sg, any SingPost Post Office counter or S.A.M kiosk island-wide! For Credit Card phone bookings, dial 6222 5595 for the GATECRASH ticketing hotline.

‘An aging Beethoven, ill and deaf, conducting the orchestra and chorus in the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, conducting even after they had ceased to perform, after they had reached the end of the stunning new work, after the audience had already begun to applaud, until a singer turned him around so that he could “see” the thunderous cheers that were resounding throughout the hall. The fact that it passed unheard by Beethoven makes clear that he could never have heard a note of this most magnificent composition. Think about that bitter fact, and then wonder that a man so crossed by fate could still demand a choir to sing rapturously of joy.’

Beethoven’s monumental 9th Symphony is brought to life by the Orchestra, Chorus and soloists from NAFA, under the inspiring and fervent direction of Conductor Volker Hartung. This gala concert also features the Chinese Ensemble in a myriad of authentic Chinese folk tunes; including: 丝长竹青 (Sichang Zhuqing) and 茉莉花 (Jasmine Flower).

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Orchestra and Chorus

Conductor: Volker Hartung

Soprano: Nancy Yuen

Alto: Zhou Qian

Tenor: Lim Shieh Yih

Bass: Ralph McDonald

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Chinese Ensemble

Director: Tay Soon Huat

chingay excerpts

2008-03-04T10:13:00.001+08:00

yes, we (the choir) took part in chingay.
yes, we wore black while everyone had fancy costumes.
yes, we were in the finale.
yes, the show on tv ended before we even started singing.
yes, it was a waste of time (friday and saturday nights burned).
but, we had fun.
;o)

adolescence revisit

2008-01-30T18:57:00.000+08:00

have you heard?
the new kids on the block are back!
joe, donnie, jordan, jon and danny are back!

*swoon* *swoon* !

apart from impending essay deadlines and a mock recital exam, this discovery has got my heart racing quadruple time. make that a 4 crotchet against a triplet quaver beat time.

*swoon* *swoon* !

go here! now!

*swoon* *swoon* !

hot goss

2007-12-24T13:50:00.000+08:00

been in bed for the last couple of hours watching gossip girl online.
as i type out this entry in bed, i feel like carrie. in the dark, illuminated only by the glare of the monitor.
hur hur hur.

anyway ~~i think~~ i'm definitely hooked on gossip girl - good-looking cast with lotsa drama n scandals.

go here if you wanna watch too.

okay, next episode please!

don't blink

2007-12-19T21:09:00.000+08:00

morefunny pictures

nat & amy's inter-terminal adventure

2007-12-08T01:51:00.000+08:00

think now's the best time to go tour the new terminal - inside out.
i don't think i'll ever get to be inside the new terminal, ever. unless i happen to fork out more money than necessary and fly with SQ (very unlikely), or fly with other airlines (say, AA) that will operate at that terminal in march.
all i can say is, it's HUGE!

however, HK airport is still more impressive to me. we'll see if this terminal can bring the title back.

g'bye abu

2007-10-28T00:19:00.000+08:00

he was sent to the animal hospital more than a week ago, as he was cramping up.

also noticed that he wasn't peeing at all.

vet said that his urinary tract was blocked.

kinda suspected all that drinking from the fish pond poisoned him.

had an operation, to insert a catheter to drain all the urine.

during his stay in hospital, his urine showed blood.

he had an infected kidney cos all the urine was flowing back.

blood count started dropping, and we were prepared for him to have a transfusion.

i just wanted him back, well.

no matter how much it costs and takes.

abu died last night, in hospital.

i didn't get to stroke him for the last time.

it was very very hard for me to bring him home and bury him.

very very hard for me to accept that he's dead.

he was only 3.

here he is, looking like he's sleeping in my arms, just minutes he got buried under our mango tree.

Rest In Peace, Abu

you'll be sorely missed

cracked

2007-09-10T14:09:00.001+08:00

haha!

this photo never fails to crack me up.

haha!

btw, it's not easy learning to blow the alto recorder as it's bigger than the recorder we're all used to.

class photo

2007-09-04T14:13:00.000+08:00

photos taken in the pink room.
yes, we have a pink room. it's the only room that's pink. the rest are orange (i think).
however, although it's pink, it's not my favourite room.

excerpts of sheda's engagement

2007-09-03T16:32:00.000+08:00

a reunion of sorts.
thanks for having me there and of course, congratulations!

Good Morning Baltimore

2007-08-29T22:36:00.001+08:00

i can't believe i actually found a karaoke version of it.
lol!

i've been singing to it for almost half an hour.
wahlau.
if you've watched hairspray, you'll know what i mean.
i'm hooked on the songs in the musical.
the songs all sound the same, but they've been given good arrangements.
love the songs, especially this one, which is in the beginning.

one fear too many

2007-08-28T18:36:00.000+08:00

met a really dignified old lady yesterday.
she was immacutely dressed. simply, but immaculate.
when i saw her walked towards me, i told myself i wanna grow old looking like that.
she was the epitome of growing old gracefully.
and then ...
she let out a super loud sneeze that echoed throughout.

i know.

and she came over and we started talking in mandarin.
btw she didn't sound as diginified as she looked, as she was hard of hearing (therefore talking quite loudly, even though i was just next to her).

now i'm scared of growing old.

threnody for the victims of hiroshima

2007-08-06T16:32:00.000+08:00

thren-o-dy [thren-uh-dee]: a poem, speech, or song of lamentation, esp. for the dead; dirge; funeral song.

this is creepy.
i'm currently doing an analysis on Pendericki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, and guess what the date is?
yes, it's the 6th of August.
62 years ago today, the nuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on the city of Hiroshima.

freaky.

lotsa propaganda surrounding this (and the other) nuclear bombing, with lotsa debates going on till today. so i'm not gonna go into that. it is, however, interesting to at least know both sides of the story.

may there be no more nuclear warfare (not even testings!).
amin.

post-occasion and destination

2007-07-19T21:59:00.000+08:00

phew.

please call me puan from now on, thanks.

hur hur hur.

back to reality.
i've yet to practice, and i sound so terrible on the piano just now. can't blame my fingers, they've not touch ebony n ivory for months now.

super find of the day:
a site for smashing pumpkins sheet music (and not tabs).
rare find!

Save the Date!

2007-07-07T11:00:00.000+08:00

july seventh two thousand and seven

formal invitation to follow

update:
the reception has been extended to 7pm instead of the stated 5pm.
we'll be around after zuhur until 2.30pm after which, we'll be at isa's place. we'll be back slightly after 5pm till reception ends.
see you!

Normal posts will resume below.
:o)

see yellow - too cute!

2007-07-04T19:00:00.001+08:00

a few 7-elevens in the states have been transformed into kwik e-marts in conjunction with the upcoming simpsons movie.
they even sell the infamous neon-pink glazed donut with sprinkles that homer eats at work.
too cute, i tell ya.

photos here!

cat portraiture ii

2007-06-25T19:23:00.000+08:00

JUNIOR

cat portraiture

2007-06-23T00:10:00.001+08:00

MIMI

I'll Be Loving You Forever

2007-06-16T00:52:00.001+08:00

when i was 12, thanks to a certain miss sharifah gamar, i was introduced to the new kids on the block. my life revolved round smash hits, when their next album would come out and any hint of a tv appearance. for the next 5 years, i swore i'd marry either joey mcintyre or donnie wahlberg.

fast forward about a decade and half later, i'm getting married, and not to either of them.

haha.

heck, i still love the new kids on the block.

*sigh*

the calorie, Calorie and kcalorie

2007-06-15T21:36:00.000+08:00

this post is in response to someone who asked me, "Isn't 500 kilocalories equivalent to 500, 000 calories? whoa!" after watching malnourished ethiopian children being fed Plumpy'nut paste on the news. Plumpy'nut paste has a Caloric value of 500 kilocalories (that's what i heard on the news, anyway). that someone is bewildered as to how a person can consume 500,000 calories in one meal.

i was appalled, and glared at him, as i thought everyone knew the basic calorie, Calorie and kcalorie concept. well, i thought wrong.
now, where do i begin?

firstly, let's start with the word 'calorie'.
it is a unit of energy and falls into two classes, chemistry calorie and food calorie.

let's deal with the chemistry calorie first:
in chemistry, the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1g of distilled water by 1deg celcius from 14.5deg celcius to 15.5deg celcius is 1 small calorie/gram calorie. This is equivalent to 4.1855 Joules, and exactly 0.001 large calories.

therefore, the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1kg of distilled water by 1deg celcius from 14.5deg celcius to 15.5deg celcius is 1 large calorie/kilogram calorie. This is equivalent to 4.1855 kJoules and exactly 1000 small calories.

are you following me so far?

now, with food Calorie (the one we're all so obsessed with):
firstly, to differentiate chemistry and food calories, the food Calorie is always with a capital 'C'. secondly, our body generates useful energy by breaking chemical bonds in food molecules, usually starch and sugars (bad, bad!). so this is perfect explanation to the fact that the higher Calories a food has, the more energy it generates.
thirdly, 1 Calorie=1000 small calories=1 kcalorie.

there, you have it.
1 Calorie=1 kcalorie.
i'm tired of explaining, so i've cut the story short.

so as you can see, these malnourised ethiopian kids are only having 500 kcalorie=500 Calories per meal.

i hope it's cleared up lotsa food label-Caloric intake misunderstandings.
just gimme chocolate can already, cos they never put any nutritional information on those things.

love (not) lost

2007-06-14T12:42:00.000+08:00

how come nobody told me there're lots of nkotb videos on youtube?!

have your cake and eat it

2007-06-11T03:21:00.001+08:00

thanks to yus, i've been looking at ~~some~~ many, many cakes.
thanks to ayu, i've free rein to decide what the cake's gonna look like.

what's about to follow are photos of cakes i've found online and they're outrageously cute!

some of them are painfully detailed, it's amazing.

first up, LovinSullivanCakes from NYC:

next, from peggy porschen:

I'm very attracted to the cake in the background, cos it's got a cat on it, and it's pink and brown! *blink* *blink*

another pink and brown one.

this is my favourite.
it's subtley pink and is really simple and cute!

if that's not enough, more cakes at i dream of cake!

two hearts under the skyscrapers

2007-06-06T19:29:00.001+08:00

we agreed that this is our song (almost 10 years ago), just cos i was really into suede and i lurve this song.

lurve. it.

but this song ain't radio friendly, in fact i've not heard on radio even once. so we don't get to listen to our song much. the only times we get to hear it is when we listen to it on our discmans (last time no ipods and mp3 players ok). and i've no idea where that cd is now.

nevertheless, am glad that i can somehow 'immortalise' it here.

the video so does not fit the song. i mean, the song is such a beautiful love song and the video is crap. so disappointing.

super!

2007-06-04T21:40:00.000+08:00

at the rate i'm going, i'm never gonna finish kemasing my whole house.
die lah like that.
there's so much dust and trash.

and i'm doing it all alone.
tsk.

oh! i found my superannuation package!
i have a total of aud41.55 in my superannuation.
kaya, kaya!

thing is, i've forgotten my tfn and it's such a hassle to go to the aus embassy and deal with the paperwork just to claim my aud41.55.

hmmm.
we'll see how after next month.

carol beer

2007-06-01T23:08:00.000+08:00

"computer says no.

*cough*"

hahahahaha!!

acME!

2007-05-29T04:27:00.000+08:00

was cleaning the store room to make space for more junk.
there's so much rubbish in the store room it's amazing and painful (this i'll explain in a bit).
there're bags of paperbags, boxes of pencils and erasers (enough to open a bookshop in a primary school), a collection of bread loaf twist-clips (?!) and machines that would look good in the kitchen instead of the storeroom.
the twist-clip thing i don't understand.
really.

then, i pulled something and a pasta maker machine (made of besi and all) fell onto my left foot! the pain is excruciating lah.

now i know how those cartoons feel when acme anvils fall on them.

sakit oi.

now there's a huge bruise. though the skin's not broken, it's bleeding under the skin and i can't lift my heel.
tsk.

one hit wonders

2007-05-27T01:54:00.000+08:00

the mtv list of its top 100 one hit wonders have been playing every saturday (with reruns on sundays) for a few weeks now. Thie week, it's numbers 40-21.

and i totally love it.

so many songs i love(d)!

it's amazing how many one hit wonders made my soundtrack of life. it's also funny that most of these songs were from 80s and of course, 90s. how come there're no one hit wonders from present times? do all bands now make more than one hit?

so anyway, here're some flashback examples to some songs that are in my soundtrack of life:

crash test dummies - mmm mmm mmm
marky mark - good vibrations <--- this video is super sexy (to me), there's a scene where after sleeping with a woman, mark turns over to her, licks his lips and say, 'yeah baby, can you feel it?' *quiver*
omc - how bizarre
bone thugs n harmony - crossroads
the heights - how do you talk to an angel
the verve - bittersweet symphony
k-ci and jojo - all my life
tevin campbell - can we talk
primitive radio gods - standing outside a broken phone booth with money in my hand
alisha's attic - alisha rules the world
joan osbourne - if god was one of us
meredith brooks - bitch
shakespeare sisters - stay
snow - informer
paperboy - ditty
sinead o'connor - nothing compare 2 u
emf - unbelievable
blind melon - no rain

there's definitely more but i can't remember.
one hit wonders, yeah.

as fat as the average bear

2007-05-21T18:14:00.000+08:00

why is it so hard to have my fix of root beer floats?
urgh.

mailing lists

2007-05-21T16:59:00.000+08:00

the suede mailing list wanted to know if i wanted to join the brett anderson mailing list.

wait a minute, brett anderson mailing list? as in brett anderson solo?

no more suede?

really?

*update*

brett's apparently recently released a self-titled album.

i've got the ibs

2007-05-16T13:07:00.000+08:00

i've a sneaky feeling i've got ibs.
that's irritable bowel syndrome lah.

it's like i have to go immediately to shit everytime i have too much to eat (which happens very often).

tsk tsk.

so buruk.

don't forget!

2007-04-13T19:17:00.000+08:00

devoid of color

2007-03-30T00:05:00.000+08:00

mom took full rein and declared that she wanted white.
so there goes the pre-planned pink and chocolate.
so boring.
but it's starting to rub off on me.

so white it is.

stay tuned for more no-resistance developments.

bloody hell

2007-03-28T17:27:00.000+08:00

has anyone noticed that the print version of the latest tourism australia ad only says, "So where are you?"
You can see these censored versions at bus stops.

So weak kedondong man.

I prefer the original "So where the bloody hell are you?" version that we still get to see on tv, thank you very much.

OUCH!!

2007-03-18T21:24:00.000+08:00

pic taken from shumavon.net

bye bye, murcielago

*heart pain*

this is obviously not a scene in sg.

though i have seen one of these on our roads.

you can hear it before you see it.

i mean i've seen a few lambos, but a murcielago is insane lah.

i believe it costs more than a million here.

siao!

i wonder how much the insurance payouts are for these machines.

hmmm.

again.

2007-03-07T21:19:00.000+08:00

barely 24 hours since the last tragedy, another tragedy has struck.

i walked past a bank, with its telly showing cna and i thought they were showing yesterday's earthquake. on closer inspection, i realised that it's another tragedy.

a garuda plane has burst into planes upon landing at yogyakarta.

i couldn't even continue drinking my abc (apple-beetroot-carrot juice).

it's times like these that make my own problems miniscule.

again, my deepest condolences to those who has lost persons very dear to them in these (past and present) tragedies.

did you feel it?

2007-03-06T21:02:00.000+08:00

cos i felt it, and it didn't occur to me that they were tremors.

scary lah.

this is how i'd described it, since i was seated, trying to concentrate and finish my harmony paper in time. it was like a slow back and forth rocking motion, like on a boat. i was mad at first cos i thought the person behind me was shaking my chair, so i did a quick turn, only to find that both her feet were no where near my chair.

scary lah.

i've felt 'vibrations' like this before, but that was a very subtle up-down motion. it was on a bridge (in singapore, and i'm not telling where) and though it was subtle, my knees still bent to make sure i've not lost my balance.

freaky.

my heart goes out to those experiencing the real thing.

almost to my benefit

2007-02-27T23:08:00.000+08:00

remember my post on benefit?
and how i was mooching jean & jane ford to consider having (at least) a counter here?
i was mooching the wrong people lor. should've mooched lvmh instead.
tsk.

anyway, i was reading malaysian mags one day and they featured cosmetics from benefit, and guess wat? benefit is available at parkson klcc lah!

but fret not, i heard (through the grapevine) that they might be opening a store vivocity.

shall wait and see.

in the meantime, next time go kl, bring extra cash (or credit)!

to win some, you've to enter some

2007-02-27T01:29:00.000+08:00

i don't believe it!
i just won an oto trimax!!

YAYE!!!!

does this mean i can forgo buying corsets, girdles and magic knickers?

very over the moon.

yes, this cow is over the moon.

MOO!

gimme one of that in black

2007-02-20T20:41:00.000+08:00

me, playing my prelude&fugue during one of the performance classes.
dr lim has kindly made our performances into a dvd (so sanggup!). i think his main point is to embarrass us as we never make a point to dress up for performances.
dont put in youtube sua cos at the end of my performance i got up and started scratching my nose, which suspiciously looked like i was busy digging my nose.
tsk.

and black is, oh, so flattering.

minimalist meets surrealism

2007-02-09T18:30:00.000+08:00

it felt so surreal.
the night before, i was super pissed at the people who maintained the website cos they um, can't even maintain the site properly.
all i wanted was to register online, and go to sleep.
so i lodged a hateful complaint and thought of alternatives.
clearly, there're no alternatives since i had no idea when the site will be up and running again, and we need to register before the day is over.
left with no choice, we decided to go down to the office early in the morning and register personally.
so with dad (who was accomodating enough to start work late) in tow, we drove in morning traffic (we usually manage to avoid morning traffic cos i usually start school only at 10am) just to be there at the office before they open.
not knowing what to expect, and expecting the worst, i was in baju kurung and no makeup.
*gasp*
reached the door of the registry and there's already a queue.
and i didn't spot anyone else wearing baju kurung.
tsk.
doors opened at 8.35 (5 minutes late!) and i was still pissed from not being able to register online in the comfort of my own home and also the fact that i had to wake up early!
tsk.
we were no. 13 and we still had to register online (and i thought the site was down) on one of their 3 computers.
as i was still raging mad, i cursed under my breath for having to wait our turn on the computer.
i really think they should've bought more computers instead of getting that huge flatron hanging on the wall.
tsk.
oh wait, before i go on, for the record, we thought we could register then leave and come back for the interview another day as i've got school at 11am and people have to report to work y'know. the trip down wasn't planned, and staying on for the interview was even more unplanned. tapi kita kena tipu (dad included) and were hauled upstairs for the interview.
having heard horror stories, we were so not prepared (doa2 all haven't memorise).
die.
thank God, no doas were asked, and all went well.
we were out of the office in 5 minutes, down from that hill by 10am and i still had time for breakfast before i went for class.
alhamdulillah.
heehee.

and no, i'm not pissed anymore cos the IT personnel who maintained the website called me up to apologise later that day.

flood in jkt - update

2007-02-05T23:50:00.000+08:00

ma, who's currently stuck in her 26th floor apartment, keeps assuring me that she's okay. she then proceeds to tell me (via sms) that she is running out of drinking water and is waiting to be evacuated by the navy.

no water! waiting for the navy!
like that's super serious lah.

i'm super worried about her and other things just seem not so important now. well okay, i'm also worried about my exams, but i'd rather have ma around than score exceptionally well for a paper/performance.

urgh.

flood in jkt

2007-02-03T00:02:00.000+08:00

mom smsed me this morning telling me there's major flood there.
water's up till the chest.
good thing is, she doesn't have to teach, as school's out for the day or til the flood recedes.
bad news is, she's stuck at her apartment, hoping the flood does recede or wait for the sos call.

she has, however, assured me that she's okay and will let me know of anything.

whatever it is, i can't wait for cny week so that i can personally make sure that she is really okay.

i need (more) sleep

2007-01-26T01:45:00.000+08:00

it's that time of the semester where i'm swamped and drowning.
it's also that time of semester where it's fashionable to sport deep dark eyebags.

give me strength, determination and tolerance to pull through.

amin.

let the battle begin

2007-01-16T21:18:00.000+08:00

this arena show brings back loads of ldds memories!
if only we could rebutt immediately then.
i remember getting all clammy just before speaking, then getting all fired up cos the other team insulted us (and vice versa).
when you're angry, you're fearless.
i also remember checking out the guys, but was always disappointed cos we're all geeks.
heh.

Gooooooo, MG!

thankful

2007-01-09T22:39:00.000+08:00

i'm so grateful.
i'm gonna be having a really long holiday (read: 4 months!) after this semester ends.
the current school semester ends march 28th, and school doesn't resume until july 23rd.
that is approximately 4 months.

yaye!

that's really good timing as it gives me ample time to run errands, do everything, etc.
i'm considering getting a job during that period, but then i might not be able to squeeze in the time to do stuff.

hmmm.

six months and counting

2007-01-07T18:00:00.000+08:00

today went pretty well.
i usually imagine the worst, so when nothing remotely bad happens, it's good.

preparations for the pink and chocolate affair officially begins now!

bring it.

application for research scholarship

2006-12-28T23:18:00.000+08:00

found a copy of this application when my mom was clearing out her treasure (?!) trove. she's a keeper, while i'm a thrower. i tend to throw out lotsa things while she tends to store lots of things. LOTS. of. things. she even keeps plastic spoons from kfc.
i know.
anyway, for this application, i had to answer, or rather, write an essay and mail it back to the then national science & tech board, now the agency for sci tech and research.
i still can't believe these words came from me cos i believe in one word answers. i was never good in essays cos i dont have the knack to elaborate.
and no, i didn't get it, although i don't see why not when i was an average 6 pointer (out of 7) in my first year.
i guess a 6 is not good enough.
or my essay sucked. hahaha.
so here goes:

(a) What are your career aspirations?
The 20th century was the century of the physical sciences, however the 21st century is likely to be the century of the biological sciences, mainly related to the advances in medical research and treatment. This is evident in the recent complete mapping of the human genome. I see myself working in the biomedical field doing research after my degree. I would like to be involved and be in the frontline of the rapid development and growth of the life sciences industry in Singapore. This would mean playing a part in improving the quality of biomedical research in Singapore.
(b) In less than two pages, briefly describe why you want to pursue the proposed field of study and how your participation in past research/intellectual activities demonstrates your passion for science and R&D.
I am going on to my second year of the Bachelor of Science at the University of Queenland, Australia and will be majoring in genetics as I would like to major in a field of study that is at a molecular level. The field of genetics is exploding and I believe every hand has to be on deck when it happens. Research is the only way to plumb the depths of life's mystery encoded in our DNA. Man regards himself as the most sophistaced of all creatures yet we are fallen by the weaknesses inherent in our own bodies. Genetics may seem to some as something remote and far-removed from themselves. But, we sometimes forget that this mystery we are living in called life hinges on the building blocks of DNA itself. We, with all our strengths and weaknesses are the living breathing products of gene expression. Illneses cured and diseases eradicated, depends on our ability to look inwards to find the solution within ourselves. For far too long, we have tried to address bodily malfunctions with external treatments. These efforts have always been limited by fears of upsetting or even destroying our unbelievably strong yet invariant fragile body. Our expansion of knowledge in the field of genetics is undeniable.
It is not until an industrial attachment stint at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Auto-Immune Research Laboratory (ARL) did I realise that I really wanted to devote myself to research. Although I was only there for three months, it was enough to fuel my passion for research. It was the sight of DNA in a test-tube that illuminated the light bulb above my head. That tiny double-stranded alpha helical structure was the key to life. Now, that the human genome is completely mapped, it is not the end. It is, instead, the beginning of unchartered possibilities. The human genome may be completely mapped, but we are still clueless as to what the majority of the genes do. With the majority of diseases genetically linked, it is a race against time to find a cure and it does not take a day or two. It may take months, even years.
I chose the University of Queensland (UQ)to do my Bachelor of Science as its Faculty of Biology and Chemical Sciences, the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, and the School of Biomedical Sciences are the major recipients of funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) in Australia. The university also has associations with other biomedical research institutes such as the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), the Sir Albert Sakewski Virus Research Centre and the Mater Medical Research Institute. Also, when completed at the St Lucia campus of UQ, the Institute of Molecular Bioscience will be the largest biologically-based biomedical research institue in the southern hemisphere. Therefore making Queensland the centre of biomedical research is Australiasia. This is the stated objective of the Premier of Queensland, Mr. Peter Beattie.
Our expansion of knowledge in the field of genetics is undeniable. It is now or never to seize the day and make this century one where we explore the depths of our body and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. My contributions, small as it may be in the sea of uncharted genetics territory, is my own way of discovering who we are and what we are truly capable of.

uh-huh

2006-12-24T23:12:00.000+08:00

please be kind to me, this is my first time donating

2006-12-15T21:55:00.000+08:00

not anymore!
:o)

it's about time

2006-12-13T14:12:00.000+08:00

will be donating blood tomorrow.

it's about blardy time.

for the record, i've always been too chicken to donate blood. just thinking about donating blood hurts my arm.

so there.

btw, only 1% of the populations donates blood.

Super Urgent!

2006-12-08T01:38:00.000+08:00

URGENT!

Calling all budding (or even professional) photographers!

Go HERE now!

Now means NOW!

p/s do it before the 8th of Dec 06.

i know, i know.

it's already the 8th of Dec.

But it's still not too late (the day's not over yet)!

USD15,000 to be won!

welcome, welcome!

2006-12-08T01:23:00.000+08:00

ladies and germ, i'd like to introduce you to ...

ABU!

i know, i've got no imagination.
i suppose i could call him Tiger or King, cos he's as regal as a lion, but has got stripes. his fur is ash coloured and it's as soft as (you guessed it), ash.
so Abu it is.

star(la)s in retrograde

2006-12-02T11:21:00.000+08:00

weird things have been going on of late.

people you've not seen for at least 5 years are appearing way too often.
you suppose they're the ones who've been around.
you was just hibernating.

it's funny how they still recognise you, because they had a thing for you then.
you never knew this as they made themselves out very unavailable then.
you, were not really that available then too, but knowledge of that crush would've helped make wiser decisions then.
or maybe not.

anyway, you've embraced grown-up life long ago and it's filled with grown-up decisions, purchases, friends, more decisions and responsibilities.

and you're freaking out.

just a short note

2006-11-29T14:14:00.000+08:00

am in school and super bored.

pfft.

can't wait for friday.

:o)

osaka sushi

2006-11-21T23:09:00.000+08:00

i'm so excited!!
becky and steven finally realised their dream and opened their very own shop! well, okay they did open a bubble tea shop before, but that's bubble tea. this time, it's a japanese take-away shop, with self-made sushis!

a super grown-up decision, i must say, as they had to quit their jobs and fully concentrate on their japanese take-away shop. so very proud of them.

i love it! japanese take-away! so aussie!
just too bad, i'm not anywhere near perth... boo!

so all you good people in perth, please do drop by Osaka Sushi over at Subiaco Pavillion in Perth, W. A.

and don't forget to tell Becky that Natasha sent you!

everything alright?

2006-11-21T20:27:00.000+08:00

something's up, down under.

first, steve irwin passed away.

then rove's sweetheart and soulmate lost her battle with cancer and passed away two weeks ago. very, very sad news as we all know how much rove is smitten with belinda. he never fails to mention it on rove live. :o(

now, thorpedo has quit swimming.

hmmmm.

ifashion

2006-11-07T21:50:00.000+08:00

i knew it!
i'm not fashionably hapless after all!

pic taken from fashionaddictdiary's flick

it's louis vuitton's s/s 2007 collection.
apparently helmut lang's done the same thing like way before.
i've one or two of these (i bet you do, too) packed away somewhere.
i used to use this as a laundry bag when i was living in unilodge, cheaply bought at the valley.

told ya, very fashion.

wheeee!

2006-11-04T23:39:00.000+08:00

we received our first totally unexpected congratulations from a certain mr low of a certain jewellery store with a chinese name.
it was so unexpected, i laughed, but was also almost tearing.
thanks yah!

:o)

i can be such a wuss. heh.

here fishy, fishy

2006-11-03T02:24:00.000+08:00

come out, come out, wherever you are!

the smart fishes hide underneath the rocks everytime the cats come near. the cats, on the other hand, have been very goody four paws. there's been no attempt of any grab & chew, none that i know of, anyway.

steady, lah

2006-10-18T00:23:00.000+08:00

now, this is what i call a proposal!

cape town, south africa

2006-10-17T22:47:00.000+08:00

Hout Bay

isn't that just gorgeous?

a classmate just returned from cape town and i regretted not going with her. yes, that brave girl went there alone! we actually wanted to go to vienna but a certain local air carrier does not fly to vienna at all (oh she has to fly that certain local air carrier cos it's free for her) so vienna was scrapped and she opted for cape town. i couldn't go to cape town because, oh, let's just put it this way - i didn't even bother asking anyone for permission to go cos i know the 'rents and the boy will never allow me to go (to an african country), especially if it's just the two of us (girls).
so there.
and i'm now regretting not seeing these breathtakingly beautiful sights first-hand.
dang.
nevermind amy, there's always the next holidays.

i'm normal after all

2006-10-16T01:11:00.000+08:00

this is with regards to this.

i found an aug 06 issue of reader's digest lying around the house, and in its article "Are You Normal or Nuts?" by a william speed weed (?!), this is what it says:

Q: I talk to myself all the time, and sometimes I even respond aloud to questions I mentally ask myself. Is this a mild form of schizophrenia?

A: Not so long as you're the only one talking. If you hear voices that seem to come from outside yourself and they tell you to do something stupid, like kill your aunt Margaret, drop this magazine and get to the hospital right now. But regular old talking to yourself is a normal human quirk. We rehearse what we'll say to someone we want to impress. We think up wittier replies for that recent conversation in which we failed to impress, and sometimes, like you, we solve problems. NASA consultant Wood says you're using a "think-aloud protocol". Studies show that students often perform tasks better if they think out loud. Psychologists would once ask test subjects to think aloud so that researchers could figure out how they were solving the problems. But time and again, they found these subjects did the tasks better than those who remained silent. So long as you don't overdo it in public, keep up the conversations with yourself. It's only helping.

*phew*

thirteen, thirteen, thirteen ...

2006-10-13T12:48:00.000+08:00

my favourite cash converter advert ever!

hawt!

2006-10-11T16:59:00.000+08:00

too skinny, but super hot nevertheless.
thanks to dlisted.

i swear i want!

2006-10-10T05:11:00.000+08:00

thought i'd also profess my secret lurve for a bag (or maybe two) after reading nur's post about her mulberry bags.

this post is to remind me to have either one of these by the end of the year (or the next?). because these are the *only* bags i crave for and i've never felt this way about a bag before.

i dare say it's lust.

*gulp*

now i need someone who knows when their boutiques at takashimaya and the hilton hotel respectively have their sales.

macadamia nut brittle

2006-10-09T14:53:00.000+08:00

you know there's something wrong with you, when your hairdresser tells you that your hair is so brittle that it crumbles like biscuit, and you start to lick your lips.

tsk tsk tsk.

nenek

2006-10-07T09:26:00.000+08:00

today marks 30 days of your passing.

i miss you aplenty and you'll always be in our hearts, thoughts and do'as.

auntie, what's this?

2006-10-05T01:01:00.000+08:00

went back to my teenage hangout place (read: far east plaza) for dinner the other day and was 'pleasantly' surprised that things have not changed much. i mean the food smell at level 5 is still confirm-stick-to-your-clothes. did you notice that far east plaza is now also known as the fashion incubator? wha...?! fashion incubator? really, it's like their logo. you don't see it anywhere on the building but if you're observant enough, you'll notice it on their trash bins. so i supposed if you stay in there (the shopping centre, not the trash bin) long enough, you'll come out a fashion butterfly? or rather, a fashion chick?

nevermind.

the place i went for dinner had a nicely revamped menus. they seemed to have a knack for always redoing their menus. nothing on the menu changes, just the menu. but this recent revamp takes the cake.
this is what i mean:

errors were rampant throughout the whole menu, it was horrible.
see auntie, told you, you shouldn't have scrimped on a copy editor.

oh btw, the food and ice lemon tea still taste the same.

sorry excuse

2006-09-19T15:55:00.000+08:00

have not been updating cos everytime i read my previous post, i went out to get a curry puff.

am so busy, i've got no time to log in entries that are supposed to be logged. looks like i've to log postdated ones again.

in brief:
malacca on the 2nd and 3rd
granma passed away on the 8th
missed aishah's wedding reception on the 10th, but ...

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!!

the one with the curry puffs

2006-09-06T22:59:00.000+08:00

i've been having way too many curry puffs this week - both potato ones and sardine ones.
it's more out of convenience rather than craving. but the thing is, i eat it as a snack mid-way between my meals, and i'll usually have 2 or 3 curry puffs (2, if they cost 50c each, and 3 if they're 3 for a dollar).
unless it's from ock, then it'll just be 1 curry puff, thanks.

tak ke gelojoh tu?
tsk tsk

anyway, i think i can live off ock like everyday.
the only squid i eat are the ones sold at their outlets.
deep fried squid head and body.
whoa!

oh, has anyone received that mailer that says $7.80 for high tea at cafe vienna on the 23rd of Sept? doesn't fasting start on the 23rd as well?
they're so smart lah.

the one when kish was in town

2006-09-04T15:00:00.000+08:00

this is overdue.
i promised myself i'm supposed to log in an entry every day so that i have a sense of what happened yesterday, last week, last month and last year.

so okay, let's continue, with proper backdates, before i forget.

Monday, 28th Aug 2006

was expecting a really boring monday (as usual), but i received a missed call (and a couple of msgs) from sheda and lo, and behold! kish is on the way to sg!
very, very nice surprise lor... heh
got way too excited and immiedate made arrangements with sheda & kish to meet up.
the pathetic thing was that i could only meet them after 7.30pm cos i had school till then. bah!

anyway, cut long story short, we had dinner at a really quiet place, which was perfect as we could just talk and catch up with one another. the food was good too - anything fried is good heh.
then we walked to mustafa cos kish wanted to get a saree for an upcoming wedding of a friend's and she wanted to look berjeng-jeng.
hurhurhur.
anyway, the walk there felt like we were walking from kelvin grove to redhill back in brisbane (remember that?).
hurhurhur.
yah lah walked all the way to redhill (a whole other suburb), up the many hills (some really steep) just for a 7-11. we didn't have a privilege of having a 7-11 down the road or just at the next street then. i mean we didn't really need to go to a 7-11 cos we had a petrol station nearby, but i think it was the adventure that came with walking in the middle of the night amidst dim street lights, and even darker houses with dodgier cars and dogs.
hurhurhur.

so yah, kish got her saree cloth.
beautiful stuff, gorgeous fabric and i dare say, very cheap.
i hope she got to successfully make her pleats nicely, and ultimately look very berjengjeng.
hurhurhur.

was a very nite meetup, since i missed the previous one. of course, it'll be better if everyone was there - naz, syida and yus, you were greatly missed.
and, here's a snapshot for posterity.
:o)

i, feminist

2006-08-27T21:02:00.000+08:00

an article i've to share cos it's so good.

If Men Could MENSTRUATE
by Gloria Stienem

Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event. Men would brag about hot long and how much.

Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood. Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners and stag parties would mark the day.

To prevent monthly work loss among the powerful, Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea. Doctors would research little about heart attacks, from which men were hormonally protected, but everything about cramps.

Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of such commercial brands such as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammad Ali's Rope-a-Dope pads, John Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields - "For Those Light Bachelor Days."

Statitical surveys would show that men did better in sports and won more Olympic medals during their periods.

Generals, right-wing politicians, and religious fundamentalists would cite menstruation ("men-struation") as proof that only men could serve God and country in combat ("You have to give blood to take blood"), occupy high political office ("Can women be properly fierce without monthly cycle governed by planet Mars?"), be priests, ministers, God himself ("He gave this blood for our sins"), or rabbis ("Without a monthly purge of impurities, women are unclean").

Male liberals or radicals, however, would insist that women are equal, just different, and that any woman could join their ranks if only she were willing to recognize the primacy of menstrual rights ("Everything else is a single issue") or self-inflict a major would every month ("You must give blood for the revolution").

Street guys would invent slang ("He's a three-pad man") and "give fives" on the corner with some exchange like "Man, you lookin' good!" "Yeah man, I'm on the rag!"

TV shows would treat the subject openly. (Happy Days: Richie and Potsie try to convince Fonzie that he is sitll "The Fonze", though he has missed two periods in a row. Hill street Blues: The whole precinct hits the same cycle.) So would newspapers (SUMMER SHARK SCARE THREATENES MENSTRUATING MEN. JUDGE CITES MONTHLIeS IN PARDONING RAPIST.)

Men would convince women that sex was more pleasureable at "that time of the month". Lesbians would be said to fear blood and therefore life itself, though all they needed was a good menstruating man.

Medical schools would limit women's entry ("they might faint at the sight of blood").

Of course intellectuals would offer the most moral and logical arguments. Without that biological gift for measuring the cycles of the moon and planets, how could a woman master any discipline that demanded a sense of time, space and mathematics - or the ability to measure anything at all? In philosophy and religion, how could women compensate from being disconnected from the rhythm of the universe? Or for their lack of symbolic death and resurrection every month?

Menopause would be celebrated as a positive even, the symbole that men had accumulated enough years of cyclical wisdeom to need no more.

Liberal males in every field would try to be kind. The fact that "these people" have no gift for measuring life, the liberals would explain, should be punishment enough.

The author, Gloria Steinem , is a journalist who is the co-founder of Ms magazine and has been a respected advocate or women's rights since the 1970s.

whoa!

2006-08-23T14:55:00.000+08:00

i was googling for southeast asian music for my ethnomusicology presentation next week and found this:

this, my friends, is a compilation of a-go-go music from various local bands from the sixties. it's in LP/CD format so it probably was available in the 60s (rite?), which means the term 'steam kodok' existed way back then. rite?
so how does the term come about anyway?
and what the hell does it mean?

somebody enlighten me please.

but, that's besides the point.
it just goes to show how active and vibrant the local music scene back then was. we had 'the jets' way before 'the jets' . there's also a jimi hendrix lookalike who i believe played like hendrix.

read more here and well, be enlightened. heh.

i wonder what happened to all these people.

swoooosh!

2006-08-22T21:59:00.000+08:00

i'm freaking out.
i've got approximately a month before lessons end and exams start!
*shock shock horror horror*
so many things to do, so little time (cos i need more time to sleep than to do work).
i've got essays to hand in, presentations to prepare, journals to write in, reviews to write, concerts to attend (so i can write reviews), practice my exam pieces and scales & arpeggios and more presentations!
gaaaah!
but as always, i'm soooo looking forward to the holidays, which makes being a student worth all the sufferings.
think i wanna be a student all my life.
i guess the workload equates the holidays. i mean like, who else gets holidays that stretches for weeks?
okay lah i'm just gonna endure for the next few weeks and stop complaining.
so breathe...!

keyword: endure.

slobber

2006-08-16T21:22:00.000+08:00

thank you arts central for yesterday.

mark wahlberg was on last night's 'from the actor's studio' and my gawd. that's all i need for the rest of the month. he is so HAWT!

he even did a line from 'good vibrations' where he goes, 'yeeaah, can you feel it, baby?'.

oh my gawd.

very the sexy okay.

sexy! sexy! sexy! sexy! sexy! sexy!

and yes, i think he looks best naked too.
note: i'm thinking it, not saying it. so it's not me, it's one of 'me's.

tak senonoh!
can't help it.
i'm ovulating (which is useless cos i'm not married) and we all know that when ~~females~~ women ovulate they start to get carnal and seek out a worthy mate to er, mate. worthy as in healthy(-looking) and good-looking, someone with features you want passed on to your offsprings. so they actually do start to notice things, say for example, that office nerd actually having a nice smile and an even nicer set of teeth.

okay, enough already!

in my head

2006-08-15T21:14:00.000+08:00

i talk to myself alot.

i not only talk to myself, i have conversations with myselves. i have like different 'me's inside of me. i'm lucky i don't talk to myselves out loud, or it'll sound very pointless and nobody else can get a word in. i can't get a word in myself sometimes.

sometimes one of me will ridicule another me and me'll start quarreling among meselves.
but that's besides the point.

today, i was checking myself out in the bathroom naked and i overheard myself saying in my head, "i think you look best naked". i'm not sure which me, this is, maybe it's the exhibitionist me. not sure.

but best part, the rest of me actually agreed.
i can imagine all my 'me's nodding in agreement and the naked physical self suddenly felt shy, like i was being scrutinised.

so is this what they mean when people hear voices?
cos i know i'm hearing only one voice - me, only with different personalities. i've so far identified the bimbo me (this one damn stupid always ask stupid questions), the smart me (always answering the bimbo's questions), and the consequence me (this one always weighs out all the pros and cons of all my actions). think there're more but i'll just name them as i go along. yes, name them. i really should start naming them so i know which me is speaking.

i'm getting too weird.

for posterity's sake

2006-08-10T18:32:00.000+08:00

i wish there's a better picture of me in the national stadium, but this will do, i suppose. so here's me near gate 3 of the national stadium, the no. 3 bearing no significance whatsoever. i finally recalled what i was doing there, i was there to jog.

yah. jog.
of course i changed out of my 'where's wally' outfit lah.

there were a few people jogging there too, but it sure didn't account for the very packed car park with cars stacked with multiple parking coupons on the dashboard. i mean seriously, with so many cars in the car park, you'd expect plenty of people too. but that was not too be, so where did all these people go?

my theory was they went on a cruise.
down the kallang river.

be the best that you can be

2006-08-09T16:28:00.000+08:00

Happy 41st Birthday Singapore!

As a nation, you're still a baby, but you've definitely come a long way!

Here's to decades, centuries, heck, even eon to come!

Must've been all those Singapore documentaries I've been watching on Discovery, but I do feel a slight pinch of nostalgia. It's also maybe because I was out and about pretty early today and the grounds were still wet from the rain last night, and it was actually really peaceful. People are probably sleeping in and not out yet, and no hustle and bustle of daily activities. Seriously. There was not much traffic on the roads, and it was just really quiet. It was like as if time stood still, letting me soak in all the sights and smells, of Singapore. It was nice, I felt like a tourist. Cos everything looked and smelled different, okay maybe the smell is from the rain but still, it was nice.

:o)

Enjoy the day, country and loved ones.
Cos you don't know what you're missing till you've lost it. It's true.

hawt!

2006-08-08T11:45:00.000+08:00

on to something more trivial ...

you'll see more of ms christensen here, cos i absolutely adore her!
if i was loaded enough to go for plastic surgery, no prize for guessing whose face (and body) I wanna have.

anyway i really like what she's wearing here, so in the spirit of me trying hard as hell not to be a boring dresser (so help me god), i'd appreciate help on where i can find something similar to the dress she's wearing in the pic. of cos it has to be available in sg lah it's not like i can hop on a plane and go shop rite?

i'll probably change my mind about how hawt this is in a week's time but still, humour me, please. danke!

freaky tuesday morning

2006-08-08T02:18:00.000+08:00

okay, a freaky storm is happening and it's damn scary.
it's like a typhoon is about to swing by any moment.
i can hear lotsa things being flung about outside.
this is probably not even anywhere near close to countries experiencing the real deal and i'm already scared shitless.

a quick check on yahoo! weather says it's just scattered thunderstorms.
(phew?!)

i remember seeing multiple lightning flashes during one of brisbane's many electrical thunderstorms from my unilodge window on the 10th floor and it was breathlessly fascinating. it didn't scare me one bit then. hmmmmm.

update:
okay, the rain's started and the super strong winds have subsided.
very glad and thankful.

... continued

2006-08-07T01:28:00.000+08:00

this is where i'll be from now on :o)
been wanting this blogadd for yonks, and it's never been available.
so i tried again a few days back, and lo and behold! it's finally available ... !
happy happy joy joy!

so yah, this is more me - starla and pink!

er okay, so there's not a pixel of pink in here.
it's just that green, white and brown happens to be my favourite colour combination at the moment and of course, pink is still my favourite colour. i'm not an all-out pinky, but i do have accents of pink here and there on me everyday, it's just a matter of whether you can see it or not.
back to the point, pls.
okay, point is, green, white and brown is really neat and bright, and somehow calming.

:o)